One killed, 26 injured as private bus overturns on Kerala highway

One person was killed and 26 others injured after a private bus overturned near Kuttipuram in Kerala's Malappuram district. Authorities have ordered separate investigations to determine whether overspeeding, road conditions or other factors caused the accident

Malappuram (Kerala): A private bus on the Kozhikode-Thrissur route overturned on the highway near Kuttipuram in this district on Sunday morning, killing one person and injuring 26 others, police said. Following the incident, state Transport Minister C P John said that, besides the police investigation, the transport commissioner would conduct a separate inquiry into the accident and submit a report on its cause.

“Only after receiving the report will we be able to ascertain whether overspeeding or road construction was the reason for the accident,” he said. The minister said it had been decided to conduct such post-crash inquiries following a series of recent accidents. He said three of the injured were still undergoing treatment in the hospital and were in stable condition.

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John condoled the death of Vaishnav, a native of Kozhikode. Visuals from the accident site showed the bus lying upside down, almost bent in the middle, on top of a concrete roadside barrier, with its undercarriage ripped off.

Television footage showed part of the bus resting on a car on the other side of the barrier. A video of the accident showed the bus, apparently travelling at high speed, suddenly veering to the left, hitting the concrete barrier along the service road and overturning.

Police and residents said the stretch was accident-prone. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, police said. A senior police officer said the bus was suspected of having been speeding and that the rain could also have contributed to the accident.

One of the passengers told a television channel that panic broke out after the accident as diesel leaked from the overturned bus, making it difficult for passengers to get out.

Two sisters, who were seated in the front row of the bus, told a television channel that the vehicle was travelling at high speed when the driver lost control, causing it to skid and overturn onto the concrete barrier.

They said they were thrown out of the bus during the impact, with one of them sustaining multiple cuts on her face. The sisters said many of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals by passersby. Police said residents assisted in the rescue operation.

They alleged that the accident was caused by the unscientific design of the road. They claimed the highway narrowed as it descended near Kuttipuram, making the stretch prone to accidents. Despite repeated complaints to the authorities, no corrective measures had been taken, they alleged.